Pastor Larson’s Corner: Guidance

A few days after Christmas, I journeyed with my youngest son and his family to the North Shore of Lake Superior for a few days of cross-country skiing. Although there was good snow for skiing in the high country where we were headed, there was literally no snow along the shore of the lake itself. As we passed one of the most popular agate beaches on the North Shore we decided to stop and spend some time searching for Lake Superior agates.

On our hike down to the beach, we struck up a conversation with a man in his 50s who said he had been coming to this same beach looking for agates since he was two years old. He also said that we had picked the perfect day and time to look for agates. He told us that a storm had come through a few days earlier and stirred things up and that the angle of the sun was just right for spotting the sparkling agates. With a few more instructions from this life-long agate hunter, we set out to look for agates. In an hour of searching, we found more agates than any of us had found in our lifetime.

The whole experience reminded me of how important a little guidance in life can be, particularly when it comes to the journey of faith. In order to grow in our knowledge and understanding of faith, we rely on those who have walked the walk before us. Parents, teachers, pastors, and faithful friends stand ready to lead and guide us in the way of faith. When we have questions and doubts, we do not have to struggle with them alone. Often just a few words from someone who knows the way can help us through the most difficult moments on our journey of faith.

Pastor Larson’s Corner is written by Jerry Larson and appears weekly in the Norwegian American Weekly.

Pastor Jerry Larson retired to his cabin in Zimmerman, Minn., after 39 years in parish ministry for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 2011 he published a book entitled “Speaking the Word Freely: Writing with purpose, preaching with power.” Contact him at jerlarson@visi.com

This article originally appeared in the Jan. 23, 2014, issue of the Norwegian American Weekly. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.

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